I grew up in Orlando, Florida and attended the University of Florida, where I received my B.S. in Biology with a specialization in Biotechnology. My love for biology, especially genetics, began as a high school student and grew throughout college as I pursued research in Dr. Connie Mulligan’s physical anthropology lab at UF. Under Dr. Mulligan’s direction, I spent two years characterizing the genetic diversity of African populations to understand migration patterns in the region, as well as developing a novel approach to use high-throughput sequencing to selectively sequence the Y-chromosome.

I entered Duke University through the Cell and Molecular Biology program, which allowed me to explore different areas of genetic research before joining Dr. Beth Sullivan’s lab and the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in April 2014. In Dr. Sullivan’s lab, I am utilizing CRISPR technology to visualize centromeres, a tool which will allow us to track alterations in centromeres over time. I am also interested in investigating transcription at the centromere and understanding its role in specifying active centromeres.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy running, volunteering with a local mentoring program, exploring the city of Durham, and cheering on the Florida Gators.